School gardens provides hands on learning at University Place

Druid City Garden Project executive director Lindsay Turner, right, helps first graders Devonte Patrick, left, and Di'mon Tumbling, both 6, plant kale at University Place Elementary School, which is located at the former Stillman Heights Elementary, in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

Dusty Compton | Tuscaloosa News

By Bethany BlairSpecial to The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 4:22 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 4:22 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | University Place Elementary School has two gardens and both sites provide a valuable learning tool for elementary and college students alike.

Facts

For more information on the Druid City Garden Project, and volunteer opportunities, visit their website, druidcitygardenproject.org.

“I'd like to say that all of the students, regardless of their previous experience with gardening, or hot, sweaty labor of any kind, have found something that surprised them and inspired them in the garden.” said UA instructor Samuel Gray, who teaches an organic farming class.

Located in Tuscaloosa's Forest Lake neighborhood, the University Place Garden is the brainchild of the Druid City Garden Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to incorporating gardening and fresh produce into school curriculum. The 2,500-square-foot garden grows fresh herbs, like parsley and basil, along with seasonal produce, like beets and lettuce, with the help of elementary school students, University of Alabama students and volunteers.

After the April 27, 2011, tornado, the University Place Elementary students were relocated to Stillman Heights Elementary, where they continue their gardening lessons using seven raised beds installed by the Druid City Garden Project. Meanwhile, Lindsay Turner, executive director of the project, said the students' garden in Forest Lake remains as beautiful as ever, thanks volunteers and UA classes.

“The area got hit hard by the April 2011 storm, so after the storms our dedicated volunteers were out there replanting the garden three days later,” Turner said. “So it's beautiful and flourishing out there.”

Right now, Turner said the garden is being used as both a hands-on learning supplement and a service learning opportunity for a variety of University of Alabama classes.

“We do a lot with UA students,” Turner said. “The largest body of students is environmental sciences classes, so a lot of New College classes come out to learn about organic farming and sustainable growing. But since we're a nonprofit organization, we do have some communications classes coming out to do public relations and media stuff for us, too.”

One of those UA classes is organic farming, taught by Emily Conner and Samuel Gray. The class is taught indoors and outdoors; Conner teaches farming techniques in the classroom and Gray implements those techniques in the garden.

“Throughout the semester, students engage in most every step of the farming process, from digging new beds, to seeding and transplanting new crops, composting and fertilizing, weed and pest control, irrigation, mulching and trellising and, finally, harvesting,” Gray said in an email. “We even try to cook some of the food we've grown and eat it together at the end of the semester.”

Gray said some of his students have been inspired to write about their farming experiences while others were inspired to start their own gardens in their backyards.

In addition to the organic farming class, Conner has begun incorporating the garden into her creative writing classes, with encouraging results.

“The garden is great for creative writing classes as far as using description to convey the actual experience of growing something on paper,” she said. “It's good to do physical activities and watch the mind work, wander, think and write as students are starting seeds, weeding the beds and identifying bugs.”

While UA students use the garden for inspiration and service learning, University Place Elementary Principal Deron Cameron said his students use their new garden at Stillman Heights Elementary to spice up basic math, science and art classes.

“It's this hands-on conceptual learning that they love to do,” Cameron said. “They do so many procedural learning lessons in the classroom, but this way they get to go outside and get mud on their hands.”

The garden also provides an opportunity to learn basic business principles. Each Thursday, the older students sell the fresh produce they grow through the Druid City Garden Project's Budding Entrepreneurs program, where they learn accounting, money management and business literacy.

Cameron said kids are able to apply the lessons learned in the garden outside the classroom as well.

“If they're doing the work themselves, they're going to remember it longer,” Cameron said. “When they're in the garden planting lettuce, they remember what it takes to plant it, water it and take care of it. It teaches them to be proactive because if they don't care for their individual plant, it's not going to live.”

Although he's grateful that his school has been able to continue gardening at its new location, Cameron said he's excited about returning to the original garden next fall.

“It's awesome to already have a garden waiting for us at Forest Lake,” Cameron said. “We're hoping to make it even bigger and more vibrant when we get there. We appreciate being able to be here at Stillman Heights, but we're excited to go back to University Place and continue with the garden.”

<p>TUSCALOOSA | University Place Elementary School has two gardens and both sites provide a valuable learning tool for elementary and college students alike.</p><p>“I'd like to say that all of the students, regardless of their previous experience with gardening, or hot, sweaty labor of any kind, have found something that surprised them and inspired them in the garden.” said UA instructor Samuel Gray, who teaches an organic farming class.</p><p>Located in Tuscaloosa's Forest Lake neighborhood, the University Place Garden is the brainchild of the Druid City Garden Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to incorporating gardening and fresh produce into school curriculum. The 2,500-square-foot garden grows fresh herbs, like parsley and basil, along with seasonal produce, like beets and lettuce, with the help of elementary school students, University of Alabama students and volunteers.</p><p>After the April 27, 2011, tornado, the University Place Elementary students were relocated to Stillman Heights Elementary, where they continue their gardening lessons using seven raised beds installed by the Druid City Garden Project. Meanwhile, Lindsay Turner, executive director of the project, said the students' garden in Forest Lake remains as beautiful as ever, thanks volunteers and UA classes.</p><p>“The area got hit hard by the April 2011 storm, so after the storms our dedicated volunteers were out there replanting the garden three days later,” Turner said. “So it's beautiful and flourishing out there.”</p><p>Right now, Turner said the garden is being used as both a hands-on learning supplement and a service learning opportunity for a variety of University of Alabama classes.</p><p>“We do a lot with UA students,” Turner said. “The largest body of students is environmental sciences classes, so a lot of New College classes come out to learn about organic farming and sustainable growing. But since we're a nonprofit organization, we do have some communications classes coming out to do public relations and media stuff for us, too.”</p><p>One of those UA classes is organic farming, taught by Emily Conner and Samuel Gray. The class is taught indoors and outdoors; Conner teaches farming techniques in the classroom and Gray implements those techniques in the garden. </p><p>“Throughout the semester, students engage in most every step of the farming process, from digging new beds, to seeding and transplanting new crops, composting and fertilizing, weed and pest control, irrigation, mulching and trellising and, finally, harvesting,” Gray said in an email. “We even try to cook some of the food we've grown and eat it together at the end of the semester.”</p><p>Gray said some of his students have been inspired to write about their farming experiences while others were inspired to start their own gardens in their backyards.</p><p> In addition to the organic farming class, Conner has begun incorporating the garden into her creative writing classes, with encouraging results. </p><p>“The garden is great for creative writing classes as far as using description to convey the actual experience of growing something on paper,” she said. “It's good to do physical activities and watch the mind work, wander, think and write as students are starting seeds, weeding the beds and identifying bugs.”</p><p>While UA students use the garden for inspiration and service learning, University Place Elementary Principal Deron Cameron said his students use their new garden at Stillman Heights Elementary to spice up basic math, science and art classes.</p><p>“It's this hands-on conceptual learning that they love to do,” Cameron said. “They do so many procedural learning lessons in the classroom, but this way they get to go outside and get mud on their hands.”</p><p>The garden also provides an opportunity to learn basic business principles. Each Thursday, the older students sell the fresh produce they grow through the Druid City Garden Project's Budding Entrepreneurs program, where they learn accounting, money management and business literacy.</p><p>Cameron said kids are able to apply the lessons learned in the garden outside the classroom as well. </p><p>“If they're doing the work themselves, they're going to remember it longer,” Cameron said. “When they're in the garden planting lettuce, they remember what it takes to plant it, water it and take care of it. It teaches them to be proactive because if they don't care for their individual plant, it's not going to live.”</p><p>Although he's grateful that his school has been able to continue gardening at its new location, Cameron said he's excited about returning to the original garden next fall. </p><p>“It's awesome to already have a garden waiting for us at Forest Lake,” Cameron said. “We're hoping to make it even bigger and more vibrant when we get there. We appreciate being able to be here at Stillman Heights, but we're excited to go back to University Place and continue with the garden.”</p>